Contact shoe assembly



1943- R. H. CLAPP ,33

CONTACT SHOE ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 10, 1941 I. mum .4

34 TATE.

.1 It lh'g "hill ill" E INVENTOR ROGER' H. CLAPP Edam ATTORNEY Patentecl Oct. 12, 1943 comma sHoElAssnMBt-t Roger 11;;Clapp; Ne vv Y ,ork, N. .Y. Application;Combine-10.1941iSerialzNoa lli fiits st-claims; (01;.19L1E-f49);

This invention: relates to-v contacts shoeassent: bli'es: for third =rail electric railway-cars: Such assemblies include arr arm pivotally mounted: at

I :Fig: 6.lis..a sectionlon'athe linet oft-Figs. I

one end on the car-r body' and carrying atev the v other end th'e contact shoe itself. -1helatter'be-..

in'gin-constant frictional contactl-withthethird' rail wearsout: rapidly. It haslbeen: customary;

therefore, to make the shoe separable fromthe Theteontactzslioelassembly ofirliti sg; 1, '12; comprises an arm I0 having apertured lo. I which theta-rm mayrbeznivotellyzoonneot d. l car may; The-contact shoe. iSfi illlzl ompr es aperture 19 therein. The extensions; li'ioyfeylie three-bolts can beused' to holdialmost iany two parts together. of simplicity to use a single bolt; itis-;neces'sary However; ifsitis V desired fors sake I to provide interfitting-partson the: arm and shoe which-canbe brought into firm engagementby the'tighten'ing'of such'bolt. To reduce to: a: minimum the contacting;- sur faces -inthe electricaIcirc-uit from the shoe to the motor control}. the: shunt terminalis.- con.- nected directlytothe oontact-Ishoe. From the point of view of-i electrical efiiciency it is immaterial whetheror-not:. the same means which connect the shoe:and-'armmechanically alsyoconnect: the shoeandi shunt: eleotri'callyi From a constructional point of vi'ew-it: is highlyadvantageous that= the same means accomplish both pur-poses. Inthe -preferred form of myrinvention; therefore, asingle boltisiemployedto' bring about all necessarymechanicaland". elec-' trical connections. 9i

Twosuitable forms: of construction. are illus trated; by way'of example, in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one form of construction, the parts being shown separated;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same with the parts assembled;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an alternative form of construction, the parts being shown septhecsidelportiomsl oitherendzoizarm ll13,.-Ihesw [ElisepnGVl-dfidl with? mutate 2dr oir nbs antialbt the same width as the space between the ribs I6 so that it can be passed therehetweent; and brought into; engagememt with? he; e-R; if t platel5. Whiletallf: the; eneae neza aces .Qeilfll't extensions: 15; armrlfla ton ue; aiki lh arr=,;:.to advantage; 'complement rila nelin l9 produeeralwedging actio rwhen. .heesboesfltawc en'clwi-ser towarda theaendi 0 rllh? 2 time. 2 .61!: stmctionfisi nonessential? to; a; firm; mech nical connection: 4 r Y 'Tmnsv rselys isposed-z cross arm l was an upstandi gu z 3.:1 vine; an: ali nture 23 ad ptedstmreaisterlwithztbe ap rture: 8

fora-the passageao-t an. clamninec oltz when arm rand? shoe; arerinwmtelfflnm fi m z 9.052 1%; A

el eseblt is made: for connectin the hunta erm nai directlyitoathisplate;g' 1 one of; the" simplest: and; ati ieet rifi methods ofifdqing h s; 15550;; zmlilb ft mi l flll t u and) its: not 25.; as the onnee ins: mews. R t

this purpose an eye 29 iS. ,.R1 l- .dl airl ne et dcpci" the; shunt: terminal! with: anr:aeertur... aree. enough:toap rm tzthenossaeeaof the bolt 29:; ll

assembling the nna retuse: the bolt: kinnedthroughltheeeye' Z3; and-fth nrthmh li h 9 1291"? turesi lQzand-e 23.. NuteNnJS. then". Illa-finds ill: 1295i; tion and tightened, thereby clamping the shoe, firmly onto the end of the arm and, at the same time, pressing the eye 29 of the shunt terminal into good electrical contact with the cross-piece l8. I

To obtain proper electrical contact with the third rail the underside of the plate l5 should be horizontal when the'shoe is resting on the rail. Hence, the proper anglefor the underside of the plate I5 with respect to the plane of the arm, depends on how far the point of pivotal connection of the assembly to the car body is above the plate 32 of the shoe has an extension 33 arranged 3 to underlie the end of the arm 34. The plate 32" rides on one third rail, while its extension 33" rides on the other.

Above the extension 33 and spaced therefrom approximately the thickness of the endlor the 1 said arm and shoe having mutually overlapping portions with contacting surfaces substantially in said plane and positioned to produce a mutual Wedging engagement between the free end of the'arm and said shoe when the latter is moved longitudinally towards the arm, and means for holding said shoe in such wedged position.

4. A contact shoe assembly comprising am-arm having one end constructedion-pivotal connection to acar, a contact shoe engaging, the free end of said arm and extending outwardly therefrom in substantially the same plane as said arm, said arm and shoe having mutually overlapping portions .with contacting surfaces sub- 2 stantially, in said plane and positioned to produce ainutual tvedging engagement between the free arm 34 are two projecting arms 35 connected at,

their outer ends by a cross-piece 36, apertured to strip 4| apertured at its ends for the connecting bolt. c c

What I claim is: t, I -'"-1. A contact shoe assembly comprising an arm end of the arm and said shoe when the latter is moved longitudinally towards the arm, an

upstanding apertured lug on the arm, a correing through said lugs forholding the shoe in wedging engagement with th'e free end of said arms i l V o 5. A contact shoe assembly comprising an arm having one end constructed for pivotal connechaving oneend constructed-for pivotal connecwith outwardly'slightly diverging bottom" and s top faces, the free end of said arm having upper and lower surfaces for wedgingengagement with said faces, and means for holdingsaid faces and surfaces in wiedged engagement. Q 3 2. A contact shoe assembly comprising an having one'end constructed for pivotal'connection to a car, a contact shoe engaging the free end of said arm and extending outwardly therefrom in substantially the same plane as said arm, said shoe having a part underlying the free end of said am and provided with a portion pro jecting towards the pivoted end of said arm and engaging the upper surface of said free end, apertured lugs on boththe arm and shoe, .and a bolt passing through said lugs and arranged with its 'aXiS substantially parallel to the longitudinal center line of the assembly for drawing the cons tact shoe towards said pivoted end to rigidly connect-it to said free end." i I 3. A contact shoe assembly comprising an arm having one end constructed for pivotal connection to a. car, a contact shoe engaging the free end of said arm and extending outwardly theretion:to: a car, a contact shoe engaging the free end of'said armoand extending outwardly there; from in substantially the same plane as said arm, said arm and shoe havingmutually overlapping portions withcontacting surfaces substantially in said planeand positioned to produce a mutual wedgi'ng engagement betweenthe free end ofthe arm and said shoe when :the latter is moved ,lon-, gitudinally towards the arm, a bolt clamping said shoe to said arm in such wedged position, and a shunt terminal'element held inelectrical contact with said shoe by said bolt; p

.3 6. A'contact shoe assembly comprising an-arm having one end constructed for pivotal connectionto a.car, a contact shoe engaging the free end of said. arm and extending outwardly therefrom in substantially the same planeas said arm, said arm and shoe having mutually overlapping. portions with contacting surfaces substantially insaid plane and positioned to produce a mutual wedging engagement between the free end of the arm and said 'shoe whenthe latter is moved longitudinally towards the am,

an upstanding apertured lug onthe arm, a core responding apertured lug Jon the shoe, said lugs from in substantially the same plane as said arm,

being locatedalong thecenter line of the assembly and spaced horizontally a considerable distance from they points at which the arm and shoe are in vwedging engagement, a bolt passing through said lugs for holding the shoe, in

wedgingengagement with the free end of said arm, and a shunt terminal elementjheld in electrical contact with said shoe'by said 'bolt..

ROGER H. CLAPP. 

